COVID-19: NCDC Orders Churches, Mosques To Shut Toilets, Sales Outlets In New Reopening Guidelines
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has on Saturday released new guidelines for the reopening of religious centres in the country.
According to the guidelines posted on its website, the NCDC said before reopening, religious centres should fumigate their auditoriums, car parks and other buildings by wiping all surfaces with a disinfecting agent.
The centre stated that during services, windows and doors must be opened to enable airflow while adequate provision should be made for soap, running water and hand sanitisers at entry points.
It stated;
Make adequate provision for soap, running water and hand sanitizer at entry points. There should no entry without face masks, provide disposable face masks where practicable.
To help educate on COVID-19, it is recommended for places of worship to have preventive messages from NCDC posted at entry points and around places of worship.
Also, holy communion should be packaged in disposable wraps. Drinking water points, public toilets and sales outlets must be closed for now. Ablution should be done at home, do not skate kettles or any personal items. Religious leaders must maintain 2 metres when prattle counselling and avoid body contact with members.
According to the guidelines, places of worship should be free of carpets and rugs to allow easy disinfection of the floor and places of worship must open only between 5am and 8pm.
NCDC added that;
Choristers are to go home with their robes. Hijabs are not to be shared. Attendance in ever service should not exceed one-third of sitting capacity of the auditorium to enable physical distancing, all other members should join the service virtually.
The keeping of registers for worshippers and attendees is encouraged at entry points with proper regard for hand hygiene; hand sanitizer should be made available and persons advised to use their personal pen, this makes contact tracing easy should the need arise.
As at the time of filing this report, over 15,682 cases have been reported in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
